Selective-current production and amplification



Nov. 3, 1925- R. V. L. HARTLEY SELECTIVHCURRENT PRODUCTION AND AMPLIFICATION Filed Sept. 23. 1919 rnrsufrt ori ice.

mun v. n imam, .or near omen, NEW Assrenoa'ro ELFBTBIG COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF. YORK, N'FY, A, CUBPORATIOHOF saLEqrIvn-cunm'r raonoc'rion AND Aurnmcarron.

application filed September 88', 1919. Serial No.- 325,780.

To all whom it may concern.

Be'it known that I, RALIH V. L. Han'rmr, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex, State 6 of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Selective-Current Production and Amplification, of which the following is a .full, clear, concise, and exact description. 10' This-invention relates to the production and control of alternating currents of different frequencies. More particularly it relates to the generation of armonics from a given base-frequency current and to the control of such generation. The invention relates also to the reinforcement of alternating currents apart from their generation, whether or not the alternating currents stand in harmonic relation to one another. An ob'ect of the invention is to provide a method of and means for regenerating or reamplif ing the harmonics being produced, or the a ternating currents present, in desired kinds and amounts. A further object is to enable the suppression of any undesired harmonics or other currents so that they do not appear in the work circuits.

According to the embodiment of the invention to be described more in detail hereinafter, a thermionic relay which is overloaded by base-frequency "current of sine wave to" roduce harmonics by distorting the wave, a so serves to re-ampli the har- 'monics that-have been produc Each of the selecting circuits for deriving the harmonics from the out ut of-the distorting relay has a coupling ack to the input side of the relay so-that current of each frequency is reinforced due to the amplifying property of the relay. By reversing the coupling of any feedack, the corresponding harmonic may be suppressed. If the source of overloading current is omitted, the same circuit arrangement may be used to amplify 5 separately a number of currents of different frequencies.

yew In the drawing, diagrammatic circuit ar rangements are 1ndicated,- of which Fi 1 I represents a harmonic producer accor ing .5 to the invention and Fig. 2 represents means for selectively amplifymg currents of several frequencies .by means of one amplifier.

Referringfirstrt o Fig. 1, a repeating ele- "ment 1 has an in ut or control circuit and an output or wor circuit and possesses the property of producing a wave in the output circuit which'varies synchronously with the input or control wave but which, for large input energy, isdissimilarto the input wave.

That is, the operating characteristicofthe repeating element is not linear throughout the operating rangle used; A repeating element known to exhl it this property, under suitable conditions, is an electron discharge device such as is illustrated, which may com-'- prise an evacuated chamber in which are the usual source of electrons or cathode in the form of the heated filament 2, the anode 3 and the grid or impedance-controlling. element ,4. The input circuitis fed by alternating, current preferably of sine wave and of base frequency, from the generator 5 through the coupling 6. The generator 5 which may be of any suitable type overloads the discharge device 1' so that the re eated- Wave is distorted and may be regar'ed as resolvable into a series of sine waves of the original base frequency and the harmonics of that frequency. The repeated' wave is transmitted through the coupling 7 to' the plurality of parallel'circuits 8, 9, 10, 11, etc.,

tuned, respectively, to the base frequency. Y

and to the successlve harmonics which are present in the output wave. Couplerlto these tuned circuits are the respective work circuits F,'H,, H H etc., each of which contains elements for tuning to the frequency that it is intended to receive.

' Heretofore, in harmonic generators of the t pe thus far described, it has been found t at the output of certain of the'harmonics, 1

generally the higher frequencyones, is very small and it is desirable that roduction of such harmonics be increased. 11 other cases it may be desirable to suppress some harmonics altogether or, at least, not to increase their production. The invention provides means for' accom lishing an of these results, as will now ie describe Each work circuit H H etc., into which ciated through the respective coupling 12', 13,14 to the input side of the re eating element 1. The energy so fed back is preterably not suflicient to cause oscillation of the discharge device but permits amplification the harmonics are separately fed, 15 asso-- anyoneskilled in the art, but the means of 'thwrrgnts sofed Each coup 12,13,111?? independently variable and may I be adjusted to feed back no energy or a dc:

sired amount of energy to control the degree of amplification. In case it is desired to suppress the' production of any harmonic, the

corresponding coupling. 12, 13 or 14 may be reversedjso that-the current fed back causes the ageant of the undesired: harmonic to ,beiieutralized. In addition, a shunt path' 15 ma f be provided across some or allthefeedbac circuits, consistin of adjustable inductance, adjustable resistance, and adjustshown 'is"preferred.

vReferring nowito Fi 1 carrying' a plurality alternating currents sq e coupling will be obvious to 2, 16 may-be a. line of -diil'erent frequencies which are to be de-.

livered separately togthe load circuits L Jam lified and an ior-controllingjjahe degree of such am- {4o L5, L 'etc., which are tuned-respectively to ms th dfmq uencies they lare to carry and aregbi qupled--respectively'- ,to the tuned paral-le iing ls; An amplifier 20 0 any suitable branches 17, 18,-19,"etc., brid ed across the ripe amplifies the currents in allor any of elload circuits L L L etc., and impresses them in amplified form through the output coupling-i2111 utpon theline 16. For

determining w requencies are to be which are to be suppressed plifieation or suppression, [the adjustable couplin .22, 23 "and '24 are provided between t e respective load circuits L L L etcgand the input side of the amplifier 20. In the case of the arrangement of Fig. 2,

. amplifier 2 0 is not overloaded by base-frequency current but it carries only the currents that are fed back throu h the cou- I plings 22 23, 24, etc. Phase-a justing circuits-15 are omitted in Fig. 2 but it would be obvious to supply them if desired.

' While the repeating or distorting or amplifying element has been shown as of the thermionic type, it isfto be. understood that the invention is not-to be limited to the specific form illustrated nor to the circuit arrangement as a whole, nor to the particu-. 'lar' details, but only by 'the scope of the I ap ended claims. I

- plitude' of the at is, claimed is:

1'; In the system of harmonic product-ion flin which an electron discharge amplifyin deviceisoverloaded to produce a i 5 output wave from which the. harmonics are selected, the method of controlling the amreducedharmonics which comprisesmdividually I feeding back. the

stort said repeating element the energify smu energy of a plurality of desired harmonics i to the input side of said amplifying device to the exclusion of undesired harmonics. I

2. In the system of harmonic production in which an electron discharge amplifyin device is overloaded to produce a distorte output wave from which the harmomos arethe'am selected, the method of controlling plitude of'the produced harmonics which comprises feeding back the energy of a plurality of desired harmonics to the input side'.

of said amplifying device an'dadjusting the phase of the currents so fed back.

3. In the system of harmonic production in which a repeating element is over aded.

to produce a distorted wave from which the harmonics are selected, the method of controlling said production of harmonics which' comprises feeding back to the inputside of of two of,

said harmonics and adjusting di erentl' the respective phases of the currents so fed" ack.

4. In the system of harmonic production in which a repeating element is "overloaded to produce a distorted wave from which the harmonics are selected, the method, of controlling said production of harmonics which 7 V comprises feeding back to the input side lof" said repeating element; the ener y of two of said harmonics and adjusting t 'e phase 're-' lations of the respective energies'so fed back to cause an increase in'theproduction of one of another harmonic; p v

5. In a' s stem employing a plurality of circults' eac different frequency, the method of controlling the energy in all of said circuits com-- harmonic and a (160138386111 the production I 3 plrising impressing individually the currentom each circuit upon a common amplifier, amplifying the current in said amplifier, and

fortransmitting current of a selectively transmitting the outputcurrents from said amplifier} to the several circuits.

6.'In a s stem employing a. plurality of for transmittingcurrent of a circuits eao different frequency,v the method of controL- ling the energy in all ofsaid circuits comeral circuits upon a common amplifier, adustmg mdivid'ually the amount and the amplifier to the several circuits.

7. A'harmomcproducer having an output circuit and a control circuit, a plurality of selective paths insaid output circuit,-and an individu'a couplm' between each said selec- 'tive path and. sai control circuit;

8. harmonicproducer. having an output circuit and a control circuit, a plurality of base relations of the currents so'im'pressed om the several circuits, and selectively transmittmg the outputcurrents, from'said.

prising impressing the current fromthe sev- I selective paths in said output 'C1I'C11li7, a coupling between each said selective path and said control circuit, and means for adjusting thev phase relation of said couplings.

9. A harmonic producer having 'an output circuit and a control circuit, a plurality of selective circuits coupled to said output circuit, and individual couplings between said selective circuits and said control circuit.

' 10. A source of current waves, means for distorting said current waves so asto develop harmonics, circuits for'selecting said harmonies, and means individual to each selecting circuit for reapplying said harmonics to said distorting means.

11. A source of current waves, means for distorting said current wa'ves so as to-develop harmonics, circuits for selecting said harmonics, and means for reapplyin'g said harmonics to aid distorting means and for adjusting t'h phase of any of said harmonies.

12. Means for producing current, means for "distorting said current to produce harmonies, means for selecting said harmonics, and means for passing said harmonics through said distorting means in controllable amount. v

13. A harmonic producer comprising an amplifier, means for overloading said amplifier .toproduce current distortion, selective circuits for receiving the distortedcurrent,

and individual connections for reapplying components of different characteristics of said distorted current selectively to said amplifier.

14. A circuit into which harmonics are fed, means for separating said harmonics, a

single amplifier for amplifying said harmonies, and individual connections for reapplying them in amplified formto said circuit.

I 15. A circuit having a plurality of means therein for selecting :currents of different frequencies, load circuits associated with saidrcspective means, and an amplifier having its output circuit associated with said first-mentioned circuit and its input circuit associated with said load circuits.

16; .A circuit having a plurality of means therein for selecting currents of different frequencies, load circuits associated withsaid respective means, an amplifier having its output circuit associated with said first- .inentioned circuit and its input circuit associated with said load circuits, and means between said load circuits and said input circuit for independently shifting. the phase of said currents of different frequencies. 17. A harmonic producer comprising an amplifier having input and output circuits, a source of overloading current in its input circuit, means in its output circuit-for sepa-.

rating harmonics, and connections between.

said means and said input circuit for causing any of said harmonicsto be regenerated. 18. A harmonic generator and regenerator com rising a discharge device for pro-- ducing armonics, selective circuits for se-' lecting said harmonics and means-individual to said selective circuits. for

harmonics to said-discharge device. 19. A plurality of load-circuits carrying currents of different frequencies, a plurality reapplying-the of circuits 'for supplying said currents, a

common amplifierYconnected' to the supply circuits for amplifying all said currents, and

circuits connected to said amplifier for delivering the amplified currents selectively to said load circuits.

20. A source of current, a plurality of 7 load circuits in parallel relation fed fromsaid source, an amplifier connected to said source and to said load circuits, and separate connections for supplying, currents from eiaid respective load circuits to said amplier. i

21. A harmonic producer comprising a a source of base frequency current, a distorting and amplifying relay for said current for causing production of harmonics, and means for selecting desired harmonics and amplifying them by said relay.

22. In an amplifying system, an amplifying device'having a control circuit and an out ut circuit,=a first source of waves couple to said control circuit, means for pro ducing the harmonics of said first source of waves in said output circuit, selective devices for selecting said hormonics, and means for impressing the selected harmonics upon the control circuit.

23. In an amplifying system, an amplifying device having a control circuit and an output circuit, a first source of waves coupled to said control circuit, said amplifying device serving to cause harmonic currents in said output circuit, a selective device in said output circuit selective to said currents, andmeans to impress said selected currents upon the control circuit.

. In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 22nd day ofSeptember A. 

